MAURITANIA: Ruling party victory in elections

The ruling Democratic and Social Republican Party (PRDS) has won a majority in legislative and municipal elections according to first results released on Sunday, news organisations reported. President Ould Taya's PRDS party took 56 of the assembly's 81 seats in Friday's poll, AFP reported. The opposition, which only had one seat in the previous parliament due to a boycott of elections over allegations of vote rigging, has won 10 seats, BBC said. Another round of voting is due to take place in some areas next weekend and so full results will not be known for some time. In the local government poll, which took place simultaneously, the PRDS won some 61 percent of the vote, AFP reported. The opposition, who expressed satisfaction with the elections, also made ground in the municipals and, for the first time is likely to be strongly represented on many of the 216 local councils, BBC said.